Teddy

[ˈtɛdi]

/[ˈtɛdi]/ noun

The verdict

“Teddy” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #11,331 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,331
frequency rank, German
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - vor allem als Kuschel- und Schlaftier verwendetes Stofftier für Kinder, dessen Form und Aussehen einem Bären nachgebildet ist

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Teddy vs Terry
60% similar
Teddy vs today
40% similar
Teddy vs trendy
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Teddy
PropertyValue
HeadwordTeddy
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈtɛdi]
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,331
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Teddy” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Teddy lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Teddy is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈtɛdi]. Corpus data places it at rank #11,331 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Teddy, with forms such as "etddy", "tdedy", and "teddyy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Terry", "today", "trendy", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is Teddy, spelled T-E-D-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    vor allem als Kuschel- und Schlaftier verwendetes Stofftier für Kinder, dessen Form und Aussehen einem Bären nachgebildet ist
  2. 2
    (vor allem in einer Gruppe Gleichgesinnter auftretender) Jugendlicher, der sich im Aussehen und Lebensstil an die 1950er Jahre orientiert
  3. 3
    einem Schaffell ähnelnder Webpelz aus Flausch, Plüsch (mit langem Flor) oder dergleichen, der als Futter vor allem in Winterjacken und -mänteln sowie in Kinder- und Damenmänteln verarbeitet ist
  4. 4
    dicker Mantel aus Flausch, Plüsch oder dergleichen
  5. 5
    aus einem locker anliegenden Oberteil mit Trägern und angesetzten Höschen bestehende einteilige Damenunterwäsche (die auch als Nachtkleid getragen wird)
  6. 6
    dicklicher und weichlicher Mann, der sich leicht ungelenk benimmt
  7. 7
    männliche Person

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etddy,tdedy,teddyy,tedy,tedyd,tteddy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Teddy - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

etddy2tdedy2teddyy1tedy1tedyd2tteddy1
Edit distance from "Teddy"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Teddy"?
"Teddy" is spelled T-E-D-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈtɛdi].
What does "Teddy" mean?
As a noun, "Teddy" means: vor allem als Kuschel- und Schlaftier verwendetes Stofftier für Kinder, dessen Form und Aussehen einem Bären nachgebildet ist
What words are commonly confused with "Teddy"?
"Teddy" is commonly confused with "Terry", "today", "trendy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Teddy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Teddy" is [ˈtɛdi]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Teddy" come from?
"Teddy" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Teddy”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is T-E-D-D-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈtɛdi] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Terry” - see the side-by-side comparison. Teddy vs Terry
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list